An Invitation to Talk
by IsshiNene
Summary: "I never hated you, Isshiki."


**AN:** Okay, so Goodalwayswins98 on FF suggested a oneshot where Nene visits PSD after RdC while bagheera82 on Tumblr suggested "First drinking party at the PSD". So I just combined them! Enjoy!

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 **An Invitation to Talk**

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She really didn't know how she ended up here of all places, or why she was even invited. All she knew was that Rindou-senpai kept nagging all of the former elite ten members to come to the party at the Polar Star Dorm, a party ultimately meant to celebrate Central's defeat; _their defeat_. Of course everyone had declined. The third years were too busy focusing on their impending graduation and future plans. And well, as for the second years, there was no way in hell Eizan was going, which left Nene alone to fall victim to Rindou's insistent antics.

So now here she was, sitting awkwardly on the floor of someone's small dorm room full of rowdy first year rebels. Yukihira was discussing some terribly gross combination of ingredients with Rindou-senpai, trying their best to top his infamous peanut butter and squid duo much to the distaste of the Nakiri heiress. The other Nakiri was talking off the ear of Hayama and Kurokiba regarding Shokugeki records. Tadokoro-san had been huddled in a circle of hugs and laughs with whom Nene could guess were the rest of the dorm girls, while a certain tall purple headed first year brought out a suspicious unlabeled bottle "sake". The girls offered her a sip, to which she respectfully declined, but she couldn't say the same for others.

As the night drew on, the party began to die down as the alcohol took its effect; the girls were flushed and passed out while the guys were either stumbling around like the drunken idiots they were or engaged in heavily slurred conversations. That is, except for Kuga who was yelling at Rindou's "midget" comment and Isshiki (who was wearing only an apron, much to Nene's horror) who was trying to calm the both of them down. The obnoxious noise and reeking odor of spirits in the confined room started to give Nene a headache. Confident that she wouldn't be missed from the party, she quietly got up from the corner and made her way to the outdoor terrace, failing to catch a certain brunette's stare.

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She leaned arms crossed on the railing of the balcony, overlooking the entrance way to the rundown ghost house. She noticed the entanglement of vines climbing up the white walls below and the clear night sky that backdropped the full moon illuminating her above. _Is this the place you love so much, Isshiki?_

Isshiki Satoshi. She didn't think it was possible for the guy to give her any more problems than he did before, but the Regiment de Cuisine certainly changed that. Ever since then; since the confession, Nene didn't know what to do for once. _What am I to him? What is he to me? What are we to each other? Childhood acquaintances? Rivals? Classmates?_ She didn't understand any of it.

As much as she would like to play dumb, she knew it was Isshiki that extended the invitation to Rindou and ultimately her. Nene couldn't understand the heavy feeling in her heart. _He has no reason to see me again, I'm not in the council anymore. Why did he invite me? How can he smile at me like I didn't treat him terribly for all those years? How can he not hate me for being the traitor I was, helping Central get his friends expelled? How can-_

"Kinokuni-kun." Isshiki interrupted her thoughts. "Mind if I join you?"

She turned her attention to his tall stature and deep cerulean eyes that focused on the gateway ahead. At least he had the decency to redress himself in his uniform again she noticed. _Thank god._ She nodded slowly, not trusting her voice. He smiled as she straightened her posture against the railing while he slumped on it. She waited for him to ask her why she was outside, or why she came in general but no such questions came.

They stood in silence as the stars twinkled unfazed under the gaze of the two. The two hesitant to break the quiet simply let it grow on. Nene could hear the party inside slowly revive itself again but she paid no mind to it, as she found herself focused on Isshiki's soft breathing besides her. Sometimes out of the corner of her ruby eyes (when she dared to look) she could see the slight curve of his lips and highlighted cheekbones. But those were stolen glances, for she could never allow herself to look at him fully. A cool spring breeze gently swayed the trees, rustling the budding flowers and chilling Nene, who had forgotten her blazer inside.

"Are you cold?" Isshiki asked breaking the silence. It had been so silent between the both of them that Nene had thought she had imagined it. Clearly not when she saw him taking off his blazer. "Here wear this."

"No, I'm fi-" She tried to protest before the brunette placed his jacket delicately over her shoulders; his knuckles barely brushing over her clavicle. She stilled at the gesture as he returned to his original stance. _Were your shoulders always this broad?_ She thought as she let the warmth envelope her like comforting arms. Taken aback by the act, she failed to hear his first attempt to start a conversation.

"Huh?" She asked.

"Are you going to challenge for a seat?" Isshiki repeated, turning his attention to her.

"Maybe." Nene said keeping her eyes trained in front of her.

"Eh? Why? I'm sure you could easily get one." He assured her.

"I don't need your false confidence." Nene said flatly before adding "I need some time to figure things out." He stared at her a bit longer than she would have liked before slightly nodding and turning his attention back to the stars.

Another long pause hung between the two, but this time it was Nene who broke it with a loud sigh. "You should have been first seat." Nene admits.

"And be flooded with work like Tsukasa-senpai?" Isshiki laughed.

"It doesn't matter, Yukihira and most of the first years are going to throw all their work onto you anyways." She scoffed.

"Ha, I guess. But Soma-kun deserves it."

"You're clearly the more skilled chef." She said, finally looking him in the eye.

"Hm. Am I?" Isshiki smiled at her, tilting his head slighting to the right in the same carefree attitude that annoyed Nene so much.

"Why are you always like that?" Nene mumbled turning her head away.

The crinkles around his eyes softened as his smile relaxed. Keeping his attention on the green haired girl he noticed the storm behind her cold eyes. "What are you thinking about?" He dares to ask.

Nene closed her eyes at his forwardness, debating whether she should tell him about the buzzing in her head or the aches in her heart. She squeezed the lapel of the blazer slightly, wrapping herself further in the material. "Why didn't you say anything to me earlier?"

Nene noticed his shift in gaze, as he searched for his answer. "It never came up." He said finally. "I thought we were so set in our pattern that you would have taken it as pity."

"Are you saying it's my fault?" She huffed quietly.

"No! No, not at all!" Isshiki quickly defended. "If anything, I was just unsure of bringing up our past."

Nene relaxed her shoulders a bit at the comment, calming her emotions. "I wouldn't have taken it as pity." She objected. "Not from you" she added hesitantly.

"Do you still hate me?" Isshiki asked.

Surprised by his sudden question, Nene couldn't help but feel a pang in her chest. The question culminated from years of misunderstanding. "I never hated you, Isshiki." She confessed to him, face to face. "I was just frustrated with myself." _With my ability, with my talent, my inferior complex, my feelings...my everything._ Her eyes softened with such sincerity that Isshiki rarely had ever seen. "I'm sorry for taking it out on you."

His face hardly had an expression, but Nene could tell he was thinking of something with that gleam in his cerulean pools. "I'm sorry too," his eyes softened like hers, "for acting oblivious to your feelings."

She turned forward again, trying her best to hide her blushed cheeks while he simply smiled at her shyness. Both were now back to staring at the fence, the trees, the stars; anything really that wasn't the other person. But the air around them was a little bit lighter, and so was Nene's heart.

"Kinokuni-kun."

"Hm?"

"I'm really missed talking with you like this."

She didn't respond, but he noticed the slight curve of her lips. _Me too. I missed it too._

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 **AN:** I'm pretty sure like majority of the Isshiki x Nene fics are about this scenario (the two talking about what happened at RdC and where to go from there). But I guess here's my take of it? I got a lot of really good fic ideas from others lately, so I'll be working on those this weekend! Look out for it! Thanks for reading :)


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